Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive Daniel Gschwind said the move was an early Christmas present for tourism operators.

“It will allow us to start the recovery that this state needs so desperately,” he said.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry said lifting restrictions would give confidence to businesses impacted by the border closure as they head into the holiday season.

“We look forward to having the Victoria decision being confirmed tomorrow … so Queensland businesses can gear up and enjoy a bumper Christmas period,” policy manager Amanda Rohan.

“It’s been a tough year, so it would be great to end it on a note that will see business invigorated.”

Qantas and Jetstar say they will schedule 250 extra flights into Queensland from NSW in the lead up to the festive season.

The companies also plan to sell seats on more than 160 flights per week from Melbourne if the border with Victoria is reopened.

“This is news that many families have been waiting so long to hear,’ chief executive Alan Joyce said.

After NSW met the Queensland criteria for 28 days without community transmission of COVID-19, Palaszczuk today confirmed the ‘hotspot’ declaration over Greater Sydney could be lifted from the start of December. That will remove the last substantive restriction on NSW-Queensland travel.

“We’re good to go,” Palaszczuk said.

“We know how tough this has been on families.”

Having long withstood calls to change the criteria to lift the restrictions sooner, Palaszczuk said people could now make Christmas and holiday plans with certainty. There was also less risk of undetected cases spreading north, and the tourism sector would benefit.

“And, as you know, Queensland – beautiful one day, perfect the next,” Palaszczuk said.

Business groups and tourism operators greeted the news with relief, saying it will give them a chance to end a tough year on a high note.

Palaszczuk phoned her NSW counterpart and political adversary, Gladys Berejiklian, to relay the news and said her response was “positive”.

“It’s wonderful to be back in communication with the NSW premier,” Palaszczuk said.

“That’s how we all want to work.”

Palaszczuk’s announcement, based on advice from Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young, came ahead of the scheduled November 30 review but had been building for days. Palaszczuk also noted that Victoria was due to meet the criteria tomorrow, and she was ready to announce tomorrow that its state-wide hotspot declaration could also be lifted.

South Australia’s efforts in controlling a recent outbreak that prompted Queensland border restrictions may also allow for broader easing.

“This is great news for Christmas so fingers crossed everything stays the same,” Palaszczuk said.

Queensland recorded another new case of COVID-19 overnight, again in a returning traveller from overseas diagnosed in hotel quarantine. That makes for 15 active cases, and the surge in such travel, and cases, has prompted refinements to the hotel quarantine regime in Queensland and greater scrutiny interstate.

“We are expecting to see more of those because we know there is a lot of covid out there in the northern hemisphere,” Palaszczuk said.

Young said Australia was afforded some protection due to its international border restrictions but there remained a risk of a single case somehow leading to an outbreak – “it could happen at any time”.

“The virus is circulating throughout the world and the case numbers are increasing,” Young said.

But as SA had shown, the key to preventing an outbreak of the scale that would prompt border restrictions was a rapid health response and continued community vigilance. She again urged Queenslanders to have masks at hand if needed.

“We have to do the same here in Queensland, I have every confidence that we will,” Young said.

New Health Minister Yvette D’Ath noted Queensland had gone 70 days without community transmission, and continued to perform better than other jurisdictions in Australia and overseas.

Airlines have also been notified of the pending border change. It is unclear whether permits will still be required for some road travel.